Trends In Variation Of Genetic Diversity In Tibetan Antelope (pantholops Hodgsoni) During The Past Decade Based On Microsatellite Markers

In this study, the genetic diversity of Tibetan antelope populations in2002and2013were analyzed using microsatellite markers. The population variation trends inthis decade were estimated. The main results were as follows:1. Genetic diversity analysis of QH2002population using16microsatelliteprimers with polymorphism detected103alleles in total, and more than7alleles weredetected in each locus, the mean number of alleles (Na) were12. The range of effectivenumber of alleles(Ne) was3.84~13.32, and the mean number of effective alleles were7.87. The range of polymorphism information content (PIC) were0.7078~0.9134, andthe mean polymorphic information content were0.836. The observed heterozygosity ofpopulation (Ho)were0.0366~0.8795,and the mean observed heterozygosity were0.439. The expected heterozygosity (He) were0.7399~0.9249, the mean expectedheterozygosity were0.857. The results of microsatellite analyse revealed that theQH2002population took on a larger genetic variation and a higher lever of geneticdiversity.2. Combined genetic diversity analysis of QH2002and XZ2013populations using15microsatellite primers with polymorphism detected122alleles in total,and morethan17alleles were detected in each locus, the mean number of alleles (Na) were23.The range of effective number of alleles(Ne) was5.54~15.87, and the mean numberof effective alleles were10.59. The range of polymorphism information content (PIC)were0.8452~0.9387, and the mean polymorphic information content were0.9075.The observed heterozygosity of population (Ho)were0.1770~0.7708,and the meanobserved heterozygosity were0.4486. The expected heterozygosity (He) were0.8194~0.9291, the mean expected heterozygosity were0.8938. The results of microsatelliteanalyse revealed that the QH2013and XZ2013combined population took on a largergenetic variation and a higher lever of genetic diversity.Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed the index of genetic variationbetween and within these two populations was1.78%and98.22%, respectively. Thus,the genetic variation of Tibetan antelope mainly existed within the population, and there was no obvious genetic structure differentiation between populations. Thecoefficient of genetic differentiation between Qinghai and Xizang populations reached0.01545. The number of migrated individuals was31each generation betweenpopulations, indicating a relatively high gene flow.3. Compared with QH2002population, the genetic polymorphism parameters ofthe XZ2013population all increased, which indicates an increase of genetic diversityin Tibetan antelope. The increased Tibetan antelope population and gene flow can beexplained by the government’s efforts to protectthem and the establishment of thenatural reserves.